Atlantoonis: The Lost Empire
by slydog148
Summary: Dexter has always dreamt of finding the lost continent of Atlantoonis, only to be mocked and derided for his ideals. After teaming up with his friends and a ragtag team of adventurers, will he find what he's always dreamed of? Dexter x Blossom, Boomer x Bubbles, and (young) Samurai Jack x Buttercup
1. Cast List

**Cast List**

Milo James Thatch- Dexter (PPGD)

Extras w/ Dexter- Samurai Jack, Boomer (PPGD; Jack will be younger here)

Kidagakash "Kida" Nedakh- Blossom Utonium (PPGD)

Extras w/ Blossom- Bubbles and Buttercup Utonium (PPGD)

Rourke- General Shanker Saunderson (Escape From Planet Earth)

Mole- Spanky Ham (Drawn Together)

Extra w/ Spanky- Wooldoor Sockbat (Drawn Together)

Helga Sinclair- Lena (Escape From Planet Earth)

Preston B. Whitmore- Carl Frederickson (Up)

Dr. Sweet- Crunch Bandicoot (Crash: Mind Over Mutant)

Extras w/ Crunch- Crash and Coco Bandicoot (Crash:Mind Over Mutant)

King Kashekim Nedakh- Professor Utonium (PPGD)

Vinny- Kevin 11 (Ben 10: Omniverse)

Audrey Ramirez- Violet Parr (The Incredibles)

Extra w/ Violet- Randy Cunningham (Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja)

Wilhelmina Packard- Roz (Monsters Inc.)

Cookie- Jacob (Motorcity)

Fenton Q. Harcourt- The Penguin (The Batman)

Thaddeus Thatch- Archimedes Q. Porter (Tarzan)

Kida's Mother- Agent Honeydew (PPGD)

The Leviathan- Slattern (Pacific Rim)


	2. Chapter 1: The fall of an Empire

**Chapter 1: The Fall of An Empire**

_"…In a single day and night of misfortune, the country of Atlantoonis disappeared into the depths of the sea." –Plato, 360 B.C._

These cryptic and ancient words faded away as the scene changed to that of a peaceful sea image. The waves rippled calmly and all is quiet, save for the occasional sound of a seagull or two.

Suddenly, a massive explosion far off in the horizon shattered the peacefulness of the scene permanently. Clouds separated, and the sea turned black, signaling that something very bad was about to happen. Several odd vehicular sounds became audible as a giant tsunami roared across the waters. Suddenly, the owners of those sounds, thousands upon thousands of flying fish-like ships, rushed past, the tsunami right on their tails.

"_You fool!"_ One of the pilots spat at another in some form of unknown dialect, _"You've doomed us all!"_

"_The wave is gaining!"_ One of the other pilots cried as the wave sped closer, _"We have to warn Atlantoonis!"_

"_Quickly, to Central!"_ Another ordered.

"_Too late!"_ Another pilot screamed as the giant wave crashed down and destroyed a good majority of the ships.

The soldiers in some of the smaller ships who managed to escape their watery dooms speed up on their vehicles. They kept on flying until they reach a large city, which was urbanized with white buildings, stone streets, and many people in it, almost like a utopia. A red, crystal-like stone hovered over the city, turning a deeper shade of blood red as the wave came closer.

A young soldier spotted the ships speeding to the capital building and gasped when he saw what they were running away from. He quickly ran to the nearby microphone to alert his people of their imminent doom.

"_Everyone to shelters! Everyone to shelter! This is not a drill! Everyone to shelters!"_ He yelled into the speakers.

The citizens of the great city gaped in fear as the giant wave towered over Atlantoonis. A siren filled the air. The terrified people ran to the shelters as quickly as their legs could carry them. Several soldiers led them to their shelters as the rest tried to hold the wave off.

The citizens all screamed and ran for cover. The ruler of the city, King Thomas K. Utonium, was one of the many terrified citizens, along with his wife, Queen Katherine S. Honeydew and their daughters, three 5-year-old girls with red, blonde, and black hair named Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.

"_This way your highness, quickly!"_ one of Utonium's guards called, directing the royal family to the shelters. As they were leaving, Blossom accidentally dropped her kitten doll and tried to grab it before leaving.

"_Blossom, just leave it! There's no time!"_ Katherine said to her daughter, but then, suddenly, a bright light blue light shined upon the Atlantoonian queen. Her eyes went blank and a crystal necklace she wore started to rise. Thomas turned back to see and gasped as to see his queen starting to rise into the air.

"_Mother!"_ Blossom and her sisters cried out as their mother floated into the sky. Katherine, holding her daughter's hand at the time, floated higher and higher also took a bracelet Blossom was wearing at the time.

Meanwhile, the statues that surrounded the city held out their arms and formed some kind of force field to protect their city, and in the process, locked some of the inhabitants outside to perish in the way of the tidal wave.

Back with Blossom, she, Bubbles and Buttercup began to cry as Thomas held them close. _"Close your eyes, girls, look away,"_ he told them. Up in the sky, a sort of energy was spinning like mad and the force field dome surrounded Atlantoonis, just as the wave collapsed around it.

Lightning crackled and thunder boomed as the shielded part of Atlantoonis sank into the Earth, leaving the rest of the vast city to be swallowed by the tidal wave. Atlantoonis was no more.

Author's Note:

In case anyone is wondering why I gave Professor (King) Utonium and Agent (Queen) Honeydew the fist name and last initial of their voice actors (Tom Kane plays the Professor and Kath Soucie voices Agent Honeydew), it's because their first names are never spoken in their shows


	3. Chapter 2: A Dismal Presentation

**Chapter 2: A Dismal Presentation**

Centuries passed since Atlantoonis mysteriously vanished into the ocean. Mankind evolved and created new technology over time, with the story of the once-great continent becoming nothing more than a legend. In other words, most people refuse to believe a word of its existence.

But one young boy did, enough to schedule a presentation in the year 2013 at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. In some sort of office in said museum, someone is standing in front of what appears to be a group of people near a whiteboard. He was a 12-year old boy with orange hair and is wearing a white lab coat, blue pants with black boots, purple gloves and semi-circular glasses. His name is Dexter Cavanaugh, a child prodigy scientist, cartographer and linguist.

With him was an 11-year old boy with blue eyes, blonde hair and is wearing a custodian's uniform. His name is Boomer Brisbane, Dexter's best friend, co-worker and roommate.

Dexter cleared his throat as he began, "Good afternoon, gentlemen. First off, I would like to thank this board for agreeing to take the time to hear my and Boomer's proposal."

"Now I'm sure we have all heard of the legend of Atlantoonis, a continent somewhere in the mid-Atlantic that was once home to a highly advanced civilization, possessing technology far beyond our own."

"That, according to our friend Plato here," continued Boomer as he tapped on a bust of Plato on the desk next to him with a pointer stick. "Was suddenly struck by some cataclysmic event that sank it beneath the sea." At this, he tapped on a fishbowl nearby to prove his point

Boomer picked up some large flashcards to show the men of the lost city in question as Dexter continued, "Now I assume some of you may think, 'why Atlantoonis? It's just a myth, isn't it? Pure fantasy?' Well gentlemen, that is where you would be wrong. 10,000 years before the Egyptians built the pyramids, Atlantoonis itself had electricity, advanced medicine, even the power of flight! Impossible you say? But no, not for them. Numerous ancient cultures all over the world agreed that Atlantoonis possessed a great power source of some kind, one more powerful than steam or coal, perhaps even more powerful than our modern internal combustion engines as well!"

"Gentlemen, I propose that we find Atlantoonis, find the power source itself then bring it back to the surface." Dexter said as Boomer held up another picture of some sort of page. "The page you see here is an illustration that describes a book called 'The Sorcerer's Journal' which is said to have the first-hand account of Atlantoonis, as well as its exact whereabouts."

Boomer went over to the whiteboard while continuing, "Based off of a centuries-old translation of a Norse test, many historians believed that the journal itself resides in Ireland, but..." Dexter cringed as he picked up a very heavy shield which Boomer helped get onto the table. "After comparing the text...to the runes on this Viking shield...I've found out that one letter of the message has been mistranslated."

Boomer smiled as he erased the 'R' letter of 'Ireland' with his sleeve while saying, "So, by changing this letter and insert the correct one, revealing that the Sorcerer's Journal, is not in Ireland at all." The boy then put the letter 'C' in the 'R's' place. "The book is in Iceland!"

"Pause to effect." Dexter whispered to Boomer as they pause as if waiting for an effect.

The child scientist dropped the heavy shield while saying, "Now gentlemen, Boomer and I can take your questions now." Suddenly a phone rang throughout the room making Dexter smile nervously, "Could you gentlemen, uh… just excuse me for a moment?"

Dexter jumped up on the whiteboard and flipped it over to the other side, revealing a telephone on the edge of the desk behind the whiteboard. The boy answers with a smirk and professional tone, "Cartography and Linguistics. Dexter Cavanaugh speaking," Of course, his smile fades as a loud and angry voice came out of the phone, "Oh yes, sure, no problem."

"I bet that's Mr. Cobblepot?" Boomer asked Dexter who nodded and sighed as he turned on the lights in the room.

In truth, the "office" was actually the museum's boiler room and the silhouetted gentlemen were simply dummies made out of masks, scraps of clothing, and other assorted items you'd find in a museum made to look like the museum's board members. The truth is, the boys were workers at the museum, but their jobs were rather insignificant, with Dexter's job being keeping the boiler going throughout winter and Boomer being the janitor, neither of them liked their jobs slightest. The duo weren't board members either, not even ones taken seriously by the head bosses themselves.

"Yes, yes, the penguin lost heat in his room again. Excuse me, Mr. McFist." Dexter mumbled as he pushed through some junk to get to the boiler. The boy turned some knobs and hit it with a wrench to get the thing going before heading back to the phone, climbing over the board to get it. "Yeah, How's that?"

Of course, Dexter frowned as Mr. Cobblepot, or "the penguin" as the museum employees call the chairman of the museum board behind his back, yelled at him a bit more before hanging up the phone.

A new voice grunts in annoyance, "I don't know why you two bother trying to have a meeting with those pompous fools. They don't even like us and think we're idiots for even believing in Atlantoonis!"

Dexter and Boomer turn their heads to see the owner of the voice standing in the doorway to the boiler room. He is a 13-year old Japanese boy with blue eyes, black hair in a ponytail and is wearing a security guard's uniform. His name is Samurai Jack, Dexter's other best friend and roommate who works as a security guard at the museum.

"I know that Jack," Began Dexter "but this time, I've managed to arrange a meeting at four o'clock to discuss my proposal to the board members. Why, I'd bet that with the evidence we have, The Penguin and the board would have to give us the funding needed to make the journey!"

"Well, alright, but you'd best not hope they'll take you too seriously." Replied Jack warningly. The truth is, the young samurai believed in the legend of Atlantoonis as much as his friends did, but was the only one who could see that no one else was crazy enough to do what Dexter was planning to prove the country is real.

"Now then!" Dexter turned back to his mock audience. "As you can see by the…" Boomer then cleared his throat and pointed to Dexter's lab coat, showing that by leaning on the whiteboard, his map of Iceland has part wiped off it, so he stood in place for it, "by this map, ahem, I've drawn, I plotted the route that will take myself, my friends and a crew to the southern coast of Iceland to retrieve the journal."

Just then, a clock nearby rang showing that it was now four o'clock. Dexter smiles while dusting off his jacket and grabbing some papers as he said, "All right, it's show time!"

"Just you wait Jack," Boomer said eagerly to his samurai friend. "When this is over, mopping floors and handling the boiler will be a thing of the past!"

"One other thing Dexter, why don't you try on the hat before you leave." Jack said as he went over to a part of the room to get something for Dexter that will give him the confidence for the big meeting.

The boy genius went over to a small desk with a picture frame on it and takes the thing, smiling gently to see a picture of himself as a boy with his grandfather Archimedes Q. Porter. The old man used to be a member of the museum board until he decided to start researching Atlantoonis and trying to prove it was real. Sadly, The Penguin and his colleagues branded him a fool for his beliefs to the point that he was made a laughingstock and forced out of the museum, dying of a broken heart afterwards.

Dexter sighed happily as he remembers his childhood: the boy was living with Archimedes ever since his parents and sister had died. The old man would let his grandson sit on his lap; Dexter would ask if he can wear his grandfather's special hat, in which the latter would allow him to. The boy would try to wear the hat but the thing always slipped on his head, making the grandfather chuckle.

In the present, Boomer smiled as he said, "Dexter, I'm sure if your grandpa was still here, he would be proud of you for what you're doing."

"Yeah, he would." Dexter said with a smile.

"Found it!" Jack exclaimed as he came over to his friends with Archimedes' hat, which was passed down to Dexter after the old man's sad death.

The grandson put the hat on in hopes that it would him since he's older. Unfortunately, the hat still slipped on his head lower, making his friends chuckle a bit. Boomer remarked, "Don't worry buddy, it's bound to fit someday."

Suddenly, a tube with a letter inside appeared in the mail system nearby, catching the boys' attention. Dexter took the letter from the tube as he read aloud, "'Dear Mr. Cavanaugh, this letter is to inform you that your meeting today has been moved up to 4:30 PM to...3:30 PM'? What?"

The gang turned to the clock nearby and saw to their shock that the clock is now 4:05! Boomer exclaimed, "But It's 4:05 now!"

Suddenly another letter came through the slot, which Dexter opened and reads in distress and shock, "Dear Mr. Cavanaugh, due to your absence, the board decided to reject your proposal. Have a nice weekend, signed 'Mr. Cobblepot's office'?"

"Do you two see what I mean now?! The Penguin didn't want to hear your proposal to begin with, so he changed the time of the meeting to when he knew you would be late!" Jack exclaimed furiously. Dexter looked insulted and angered. He should've known that The Penguin would find a way to keep him from going to the meeting, all because of the board members' disbelief in Atlantoonis!

"They can't do this to us!" Dexter exclaimed furiously. "We have to stop them!"

Upstairs in the hallway, the museum board members, consisting of The Penguin, Hannibal McFist, C. Montgomery Burns, Porter C. Powell and David Xanatos were leaving the conference room. Mr. Burns groaned, "I swear, that Cavanaugh boy and his friends get crazier every year!"

"Tell me about it," McFist agreed in annoyance. "If I ever hear the word 'Atlantoonis' once more, I'll step in front of a bus!"

"Let me push you if that does happen; ha ha ha!"

Penguin chuckled a bit in amusement and satisfaction. He was getting more annoyed with Dexter and his friends wasting their potential and his time by pursuing a continent that never existed! At least by making the letters late on purpose, he and his colleagues managed to avoid a boring and pointless meeting! Plus, they will all be away before...

"Mr. Cobblepot!" Dexter's voice yelled out. The board members looked shocked and turned around upon seeing Dexter's group rushing towards them with papers and whatnot.

"Good lord, it's them!" Xanatos exclaimed frantically.

"Hey, wait! Mr. Cobblepot, sirs!" Boomer exclaimed as he tripped a bit, though managed to recover in time.

"How did they find us?" Porter asks in terror. The board members were hoping that they would avoid running into those three right now!

Frantically, the board members made a run for it as The Penguin exclaimed, "What up, you idiots!" most of the board members managed to escape into their offices and lock the doors, leaving The Penguin outside with the same people he was hoping to avoid!

The stout birdlike man tried to hide behind a small tree in panic and desperation, though Dexter rushed up to him and move the leaves, finding him while asking, "Mr. Cobblepot? Please listen!"

The Penguin smiled before pushing Dexter away with his umbrella and running off towards the exit with the trio hot on his tail. The chase ended up outside as the chairman rushed towards his waiting car.

"Wait, Mr. Cobblepot! Just hear us out!" Boomer insisted as he, Dexter and Jack caught up to Penguin, tossing the important papers into the car, much to the chairman's annoyance.

"Right, if you'll just look at these and the map and..."

Of course, as Dexter got the map out, The Penguin scowled as he shoved the map out of his face and yelled, "We've been over this before, Cavanaugh! This museum is a place that provides funding for scientific expeditions that are based on facts, not some dumb legends and myths! Besides, we need you and your friends here," The Penguin then donned an encouraging smile "you're already valued enough assets of the museum as is."

"You do?" Dexter and Boomer asked with hopeful smiles. For a moment, it looked like The Penguin and his associates really needed the three of them for something of great importance at the museum. Jack was the only one who was skeptical the chairman's word, though.

Sure enough, the kid samurai's doubt was confirmed as Dexter and Boomer's hopes were dashed as The Penguin remarked, "Of course! With winter being just around the corner, that boiler's gonna need a lot of attention! Not to mention all the dirty halls when people start leaving snow all over the place!"

"Boiler?!" "Halls?!" Dexter and Boomer asked in shock and disbelief. Those were the only thing The Penguin thought that they were good for? Working the boiler and mopping the floors?

"Floor it driver, get us out of here!"

"But there's a journal!" Dexter exclaimed as he, Boomer and Jack chased after their boss as the limousine driver began to drive them away. "The book is in Iceland, we're sure of it this time!" The Penguin only scoffed as he closed the curtains in hopes of drowning out the boys' yelling, but then bolted up in alarm at something in front of the car.

As it turns out, Boomer had jumped and landed on the hood of the car, causing The Penguin and his driver to yelp in alarm. As Dexter jumped on as well, the blonde exclaimed, "Sir, please! We didn't want it to come to this but you've given us no choice!"

"Right! This is a letter of our resignation!" Dexter snapped sternly as he held up a letter with his, Boomer and Jack's signatures on it. "If you turn down our proposal..."

Of course, Dexter was cut off as the driver turned the car roughly to knock the two boys off. The vehicle was heading off when Jack hollered furiously, "We'll quit!"

The car came to a halt as it drove back to the boys. The window curtains opened to show The Penguin, who looked neither intimidated nor concerned by the threat, frowning at the trio as Dexter continued sternly, "We're serious this time Mr. Cobblepot! If you don't agree to fund our proposal, my friends and I will..."

"You'll do what? Give up your jobs and flush your lives and reputations down the toilet just like that loon grandfather of yours?" The Penguin snapped as he made a crazy sign around his head, much to the boys' annoyance.

"Mr. Porter was not a loon Mr. Cobblepot!" Snapped Jack angrily "It was the close-minded cads like yourself and the other board members that made him look like a fool for believing in something no one else would!"

"Oh, we're being close-minded? We're not the ones who lost respect in the museum community for searching for a city that isn't real, are we?" Retorted The Penguin. "Look, I'm not gonna lie to you Dexter, you're a smart kid. And you have a lot of potential for helping the scientific community! Do yourself a favor and don't do what your grandfather did and embarrass yourself by throwing it all away chasing fairy tales!"

"But we can prove that Atlantoonis exists," Dexter said in sadness and desperation. "If you would just give us a chance to show you why!"

"Oh, you three want an expedition? Here!" The Penguin snapped as he tossed a dime onto the ground near Dexter and Boomer and next to Jack's feet, taunting the poor trio. "Take a trolley to the Potomac and jump in, maybe the dumb blonde kid first! Maybe the cold water will wash all those stupid ideas from those heads of yours and put some common sense in there!"

With that, The Penguin closed the curtains as the car drove off once more, splashing a puddle to get Dexter and his friends wet once more. Jack groans, "Stupid Cobblepot. How can he do this to us?"

Dexter however sighed sadly and glanced at soaked resignation letter in misery. What was the point? No one in the museum ever believed that Atlantoonis exists and there's no chance anyone else ever will.

Author's Note:

Hannibal McFist is the secondary antagonist in _Randy Cunningham: 9__th__ Grade Ninja_

Need I really remind who Mr. Burns is?

Porter C. Powell is a recurring villain from _Transformers: Animated_

And David Xanatos is one of the primary antagonists in the TV series _Gargoyles_


	4. Chapter 3: An Interesting Proposal

**Chapter 3: An Interesting Proposal**

To say that Dexter and his friends felt discouraged would've been a huge understatement. They felt as though the world itself was glaring upon them as they walked down the rainy street to the apartment complex they lived in. The Penguin's words may have been harsh, but they also held the truth. Nobody in the scientific community was ever going to take them seriously for their belief that Atlantoonis was real

"Cheer up, guys," Boomer said, trying to sound optimistic. "I bet there are some other museums who would take us in and believe your story."

"Not likely. With Dexter's family name a laughingstock from the notion of finding Atlantoonis, no one would want anything to do with us." Jack grunts a bit.

"Well, can't hurt to try, right?" asked Dexter.

"Not like that would do us any good." Jack grumbled with a sigh.

"Who are we kidding anyway? Cobblepot was right not to believe us. All we have are theories and never any solid facts."

Once the group arrived at their apartment, Dexter sadly called out to his pet monkey, "We're home...again. Monkey? Here boy."

He tried to turn the light on, but it wouldn't, causing the boy to groan in frustration.

Suddenly a flash of lightning cracked outside and the trio gasped in alarm to see that someone was already in their apartment. It is a female elflike alien with long ears, three-fingered, one-thumbed hands, cyan skin, and violet eyes, with a purple frill combed to the right side of her head. She was wearing a scarlet dress with a purple collar, orange cuffs and bands on the sleeves, and black and silver boots.

"Dexter Cavanaugh and friends?" The alien asks with a sly smirk as she turns to face the startled children.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Dexter asks her in surprise.

"If you are some sort of cat burglar, you have made a very foolish mistake coming here after the day we have had." Growled Jack warningly as he unsheathed his katana, not at all trusting this intruder.

"Relax blade boy, I'm no thief. I came down the chimney. Ho ho ho," The alien said with a sly grin before sitting down in a chair nearby. "My name is Lena Alba. I'm acting on the behalf of my employer who has a very interesting proposition for the three of you. Are you interested?"

"Employer?" Boomer asks as lightning flash and thunder booms. "Who the heck is your employer?"

At Lena's request, Dexter and his group went with her in her own car to a mansion somewhere near the edge of town. The group saw a sign that bore the name "Fredricksen" on it on the front gate. They assumed that must be Cree's employer.

Once the car reached the mansion, everyone got out and went inside. The new visitors looked around while the alien girl led them to an elevator.

"Follow me, and try not to drip on the carpet. Make sure to step lively, Mr. Fredricksen prefers not to be kept waiting." Lena said as the group got onto the elevator. Once the doors closed and the elevator began to descend, the girl straightened her clothes up while continuing, "Now then, you will address him as Mr. Fredricksen or sir, you all will stand unless he asks you to sit down, and keep all your sentences short and to the point. Got that?"

"All right, we get it. But is he really that formal?" Boomer asked Lena.

"Trust me, you will know when you meet him." Lena replied. Soon the elevator came to a complete stop as the doors slid open to reveal a large office that was illuminated only by a fire that was burning in the fireplace at the far end of the room.

"And don't be so tense, try to relax. The old man doesn't bite...unless asked." Lena added, which caused Boomer to gulp as he and his friends exited the elevator.

As Lena took her leave, the boys took the opportunity to look around. The office itself looked more like a library or a museum to them, with it's numerous shelves of books and assorted artifacts displayed along the sides of the room. As Jack went over to the fireplace to warm himself, he noticed something above the fireplace that made him call out, "Dexter! Dexter, come look at this!"

Dexter came over to the fireplace and followed his friend's gaze to see a large painting hanging above the fireplace depicting Dexter's grandfather, who was standing with another elderly man who was shorter, had white hair and was wearing square glasses.

"Grandpa?" Dexter mused to himself as he continued to gaze at the painting containing his late grandfather. How could this Fredricksen fellow have known about him? Maybe they were friends or something?

"Yep! Brightest explorer I've ever known!" A new voice spoke up. The trio turned around to see the other old man in the painting, obviously Mr. Fredricksen, sitting in an awkward position wearing a white robe.

"Carl Fredricksen, pleasure to meet you boys!" Carl smiles as he shook Dexter's hand with his foot before using his other foot to crack his neck. "Care to join me in some yoga?"

"Um… No. We're, we're fine" Insisted Jack uneasily, as much as he liked doing yoga, seeing this old man do it was rather… unsettling.

Hoping to relieve the awkwardness of the moment, Dexter decided to follow Lena's advice about keeping to the point while also hoping to ease the awkwardness of the situation.

"So, you really knew my grandfather?" asked Dexter.

"Oh, of course," Replied Carl as he stretched his legs while putting his feet on his head "Old Archie and I met in college and we were best friends until his death. You wouldn't believe the crazy expeditions the old loon dragged me on. And he would always talk about you, Dexter."

"Really? Well he never told me about you when he was alive." Said Dexter in confusion. If Carl was such a good friend to his grandfather, then why didn't Archimedes ever mention him?

"Well, no need to blame him for that." Carl said as he stood on his head. "I asked him to keep knowledge about me to a minimum. I do like to my privacy, after all." The bottom part to Carl's robe then fell down, exposing what he should always keep private to the boys, which caused them to gasp/cringe in shock and look away in disgust.

"Funny you should say that." Muttered Jack, who was trying vey hard to forget what he just saw.

"Mr. Fredricksen, would you please mind telling us what we're here for?" Dexter asked in hopes of wondering the purpose of this visit.

"Oh, of course. I have something for you Dexter, it's right over on that table there." Carl replied as he pointed over to a nearby table. Dexter walked over and noticed some sort of package addressed to him, but what was most shocking about it was whom it was from.

"This… this is from my grandfather?" Dexter asked Carl in confusion.

"The man brought that thing to me years ago." Carl said while performing more yoga. "He said that if anything were to befall him, you should have it when the time came, whatever that's supposed to mean."

Dexter tore the paper from it and then gasped in shock at what was inside, as did his friends as they peered over his shoulders.

"Is… Is that what I think it is?" Boomer whispered in disbelief.

"I… I… I don't believe it." Murmured Jack, too stunned for words.

The reason they were in shock was because what was inside the package was the exact artifact they were trying to persuade The Penguin existed earlier that day. The Wizard's Journal itself!

"It… It can't be! This is the Wizard's Journal!" Dexter exclaimed before turning to Carl, who had finished his yoga session and was sipping wine from two glasses.

"Mr. Fredricksen, this journal is exactly what we need to find the missing continent of Atlantoonis!"

Carl only laughed at this as he went behind a changing curtain to get dressed. "Ha! Atlantoonis? Everyone knows that place is just a myth, and it's not like some old diary can prove it's real at all!"

"But it has everything we need to find it!" Protested Boomer.

"Yes, there are coordinates and clues to lead us, and they're all right in here!" Agreed Dexter excitedly.

"What, all those scribbles written in there? It's only gibberish." Argued Carl as he poked his head out from behind the curtain.

"No, it's only difficult." Replied Dexter "I've studied all types of dead languages over the years and this is definitely not gibberish in my eyes."

"Well, the book is probably a fake, for all I know." Carl remarked as he came wearing a white tuxedo while smiling. Dexter closed the book and shut his eyes in aggravation. Why was this old man being as stubborn to convince as the board members?

"Mr. Fredricksen, my grandfather would've known from the start if this wasn't real." Insisted Dexter as he turned to face his late grandfather's friend. "I would know! I would stake everything I own and believe in that this journal is the real thing!"

"Alright, alright. If that's what you want to believe, I'm not gonna judge you for it." Said Carl in a surrendering manner before taking a seat at a table in front of a large aquarium containing a quartet of barracudas.

"So, now that you have it, what do you plan on doing with it?"

"What do you think we're going to with it? We'll use it to find Atlantoonis!" Declared Jack.

"Yes, and we'll get funds to help us! The museum can help us!" Added Dexter.

"Oh please, those snobs? They'll never believe you three." Scoffed Carl dismissively.

"Then we will make them believe!" Boomer retorted stubbornly and determinedly.

"Oh, like how you did earlier today."

"What? No! Forget about that, we don't need them!" Jack exclaimed angrily at the thought of going back to the men who scorned and ridiculed his friends.

"The last things we need are those blowhards calling us fools and rejecting our beliefs and claims just like Mr. Porter!"

"That's right! My friends and I will find Atlantoonis on our own… even if we have to do it with nothing but a rowboat and some diving gear!" Dexter said in determination.

Carl, who was listening to the boys intently, then gave out a mysterious smile as he said, "Congratulations, boys. That was exactly the answer I was hoping to hear from you. But never mind the rowboat boys, because you're gonna travel in style"

Carl then pushed a button nearby on the table. Dexter gasped as a model of a huge submarine and other vehicles came out from the table, much to his and his friends' amazement.

"The whole thing as been arranged, crew and all!"

"But why?" Dexter asked Carl in confusion. If the old man actually believed him and his friends about Atlantoonis, why would he bother helping them when no one else would?

"Well, for years, old Archie would talk my ears off about that old book, and just like the men in the museum, I didn't believe him for a second. So one day, I had enough of it and made a bet with the old bat. I told him, 'Porter, if you actually manage to find that so-called journal and prove it's the real thing, not only will I provide funding for your crazy expedition, but I'll kiss you full on the mouth'." Carl explained.

The old man then looked embarrassed as he showed a picture of himself and Archimedes (who is holding the Wizard's Journal) spitting out in disgust, which caused Boomer to giggle.

"You can imagine how embarrassed we both were when he actually found the darn thing."

"Now, I know you grandfather is gone now, Dexter. God rest his soul, but Carl Fredricksen always keeps his word. You hear that Archie?" Carl snapped at the picture. "I'm going to great beyond with a clear conscience, by thunder!"

Carl's head then dropped a bit in sadness as he sighed in mourning to his late friend, much to the concern of Dexter, Boomer, and Jack.

"M-Mr. Fredricksen?" asked Dexter.

"Your grandpa was a great man, Dexter. You probably have no idea how great he really was." Carl said in sadness before furrowing his brows and shaking his head in disgust.

"Those heartless idiots at the museum, they just threw him out and made a joke of him just for being a man of possibilities. He died a broken man. Having him die without fulfilling his dream was no different than when my wife Ellie died without getting a chance to go to Paradise Falls in South America. I may have fulfilled Ellie's wish already, but if only I could bring out one shred of proof that Porter was right...that will be just enough for me. Ah, Porter..."

Carl then changed his mood and grinned as he asked, "Well, what are we doing moping around like this? There's work to be done!"

"Wait, Mr. Fredricksen, if you are truly serious about this, we are going to need a crew!" Jack pointed out to the old man in concern.

"Not to worry, I got that all prepared!"

"But you're gonna need engineers, geologists." Boomer explained, still worried.

"Done and done, I got only the best people for the job!" Carl laughed as he got out some papers and showed pictures to the group, which consisted of various characters such as a pig, a tough looking teen boy, a girl with a black hair and a mask, a purple-haired boy, a bandicoot with his brother and sister, an old slug-like monster and a militant-looking man with balding brown hair.

"Spanky Ham, geology and excavation, has a big snout for dirt. Kevin E. Levin, demolitions, had to break him out of a Null Void prison to recruit him. Violet Parr and her boyfriend Randy Cunningham don't let their looks and age fool ya, they know more about engines than all four of us put together. Believe it or not, these are the same people who recovered the journal all those years ago."

"Where was the journal anyway?" Jack asked Carl curiously.

"Where do you think?" Carl asked with a smile a he showed the boys a picture of the same crew in Iceland, "In Iceland!"

"Yes, I knew it, we knew it!" Dexter exclaimed eagerly as he and his friends smiled in delight.

"You were right Dexter, it was in Iceland!" Boomer cheered happily.

Dexter smiled a bit. He was right about the Wizard's Journal being in Iceland this whole time! He only wished The Penguin was here to see this so he could rub it in in his chubby face!

"Now the only problem now is, we still need an expert on gibberish. And perhaps some extra muscle" Carl said with a smile, much to the group's surprise. "It's time for decisions now, Dexter. You can either build out the foundation given to you by your grandfather, or you and friends can go back to the boiler room.

The boy took a good, long look at the pictures, causing him to slump in his chair in shock. This was a lot to take in for him. The journal, the same one that will take him, his friends and a crew to Atlantoonis, has been found. All he had to do was to say 'yes' and the journey will begin.

"Well, Dex? What do you say?" Boomer asked Dexter with hopeful a grin as he and Jack awaited an answer from his friend.

"This… This is actually happening." Dexter said in amazement and disbelief.

"See, you're catching on now." Grandpa Phil said with a smile.

"Well, let's see...if we are to go through with this we have to quit our jobs first."

"Taken care of, you three resigned this afternoon." Grandpa Phil said with a grin, much to the boys' surprise.

"Wait, we did?" Boomer asked in confusion. He and his friends only threatened to quit if they didn't get their way with The Penguin.

"Certainly! No need to leave a few loose ends, now don't we?"

"What about our apartment?" Jack asks in realization. "We must get notice."

"Already done," Grandpa Phil said with a smile, surprising the boys some more.

"Our clothes?" Boomer asked Carl curiously.

"Packed and ready to go!"

"And our books?" asked Dexter.

"In storage even as we speak." Carl recalled calmly.

"Well, what about my Monkey?" Dexter asked before a brown monkey climbed up from behind the chair he was sitting on and chittered some before smiling as a stunned Dexter scratched him behind his neck as his master muttered, "Oh my gosh."

"Your grandpa had a philosophy when he was alive. He would say 'our lives and legacies are kept going by the gifts we leave to our children'." Carl said as he got out of his chair and gave the book to Dexter before offering the latter's coat to him. "This journal is a gift left to you, Dexter. Atlantoonis is waiting. So how about it?"

Looking at the journal for a moment, Dexter then felt a smile crawl up his face. Finally, after years of being ridiculed and put down for his ideals, he was finally getting the chance to pursue his and his grandfather's dream of finding a lost civilization with his friends. So, with a wide grin he sprung up from the chair, grabbed his coat and exclaimed excitedly while putting on the coat backwards, "I accept Mr. Fredricksen! You won't regret this at all!"

"And we're in too! Wherever Dexter goes, we'll follow him to the bitter end!" Agreed Boomer enthusiastically while Jack nodded as well.

"Man, I'm so excited that I could barely hold it in!" Grinned Dexter widely.

Dexter eventually found out that his excitement wasn't the only thing that could be contained as he threw up over the side of the ship he was on while his friends patted him on the back. Jack commented, "I told you that you shouldn't have eaten before we left."

The group was on a massive ship that was sailing throughout the ocean before they and the crew leave via submarine to journey to find Atlantoonis.

"Onions. There were onions in there. It makes no sense, I didn't even eat onions lately." Groaned Dexter to his companions, who merely shrugged.

"Attention, all hands to the launch bay!" A voice on the speakers spoke up. "If the joker who removed the "L" from the Motor Pool sign is listening to this, we're all onto you."  
The beginning of their adventure was imminent. They walked through the ship as crewmembers and supplies passed them and were loaded, ready to commence their mission.

As the group looked around, they approached someone inspecting a truck that had their back turned to the boys as Jack asked, "Excuse me, do you know where we go to report in?"

"Well, good to see you too, boys." A familiar voice said as the person turns around to reveal herself to be a familiar blue alien.

"Lena, you're coming along too?" Dexter asked Lena in surprise.

"Of course, I was part of the crew that got that journal back, or did you not already know that?"

"Hey, blueberry! I've got a bone to pick with you!" A new voice snapped in annoyance. Lena frowned as she glanced at someone behind her, the team's cook, who was frowning in disapproval at her from the back of his truck, which had various pots and pans hanging from it. The cook in question was a bearded man in his mid-fifties with hippie-like haircut, a white shirt, black vest, blue pants and dark blue shoes. He is also wearing a red bandanna around his head. His name was Jacob Murray.

"Ugh, not again. Hang on." Lena groaned to the group in annoyance before turning to speak to Jacob. "What is it this time, Jacob?"

"Sister, you didn't have to just go and stuff my car with all this pointless junk! I mean, look at this: cinnamon, sugar, sour cream? Who needs to eat all this all this garbage?" Jacob scowled as he threw the 'junk food' from the box before showing something. "What's this?"

"Lettuce, Chef."

"Lettuce? Lettuce?"

"A vegetable genius, you and I both know that the men need the four basic food groups." Lena remarked with a groan of annoyance. "Orders are orders."

"You want your basic food groups? I've got them right here: beans, bacon, whiskey and lard!" Jacob snapped as he counted off the four basic food groups in his perspective. Just then an alarm sounded off. It was time to get going.

"Alright, pack it up and move it out, let's go!" Lena snapped as she shoved the lettuce onto the annoyed Jacob's hands.

"All hands to the launch bays. Final loading is in progress." Someone spoke through the speakers. Dexter's group and the sailors head onto the large platform which lowers to take them all to the launch bay.

The trio, upon reaching the bottom, gasped as they saw the huge submarine mentioned by Carl right in front of them. It was obviously large enough to hold people, gear, even vehicles, and this one will take them to the bottom of the ocean!

"Wow, Fredricksen was right...we're definitely travelling style." Boomer said with a smile.

As the group got off the platform, Dexter yelped as someone bumped a cart right behind him as the person handling the cart said snidely, "Hey shorties, if you three are trying to find the pony rides, they're in the back."

The person talking was a 17-year-old boy with black hair who ws wearing a tattered black t-shirt, a tan long-sleeved undershirt, blue jeans, black shoes, and a padlock necklace with the number "11" on it. This was Kevin E. Levin, the demolitions expert Carl had hired for the expedition.

As Kevin continued on with his cart of explosives, Dexter noticed a stick of dynamite on the ground as her called to the latter, "Um, excuse me! You just dropped some of your… your… uh… Dynamite." He then laughed nervously as he asked "What else do you have in there?"

"Just the basic essentials: gunpowder, nitroglycerin, note pads, fuses, wicks, glue and paper clips, big ones. Nothing much, really" Kevin remarks with a shrug as he kept on pushing the cart away, much to the boys' surprise and confusion.

"Hey boys, there you are!" Carl called out form nearby as he comes over to them with someone, a stern looking, militant man in his forties with short, balding brown hair, brown eyes and is wearing a military uniform with a nametag bearing the name "Shanker" sewn on his right breast. "I want you three to meet General Shanker Saunderson, he's the same man who lead the expedition to retrieve the journal."

"Dexter Cavanaugh. As I live and breathe." Smiled Shanker warmly as he shook the boy genius's hand. "I see you have that journal with you. Personally I prefer a good western myself." He then turned to Jack and Boomer and said "And you two must be Jack and Boomer. I'm glad that you're going to be joining us as well."

"Believe us sir, wherever Dexter goes, we will be by his side." Replied Boomer as he shook the general's hand. Jack however felt something was off with this man, though he didn't show it on his face as he shook Shanker's hand as well as he added, "Agreed. If this is what is going to prove Dexter's theories correct, we wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Wow, Mr. Fredricksen, when you settle a bet, you definitely take it seriously." Dexter remarked to his grandfather's friend in amazement that the latter would really go through with all of this.

"Well, Porter always believed that you don't put a price when it comes to pursuing knowledge." Carl said with a chuckle.

"Well, believe me, these are just some small changes compared to the value of what we're going learn on this trip."

"Right, I agree. This ought to be very enriching for all of us indeed." Alan said with a smile.

"All personal, launch will begin in 15 minutes." The voice announced through the speakers once more. It's time for everyone to get on board the submarine.

"Mr. Fredricksen." Shanker said as he saluted Carl before heading off to the submarine.

"Shanker." Carl said with a nod, motioning him and the crew good luck on their adventure.

"It's time." Jack remarked.

"Right, come on gentlemen." Dexter said with a nod as he and his friends headed into the submarine.

"Bye, Mr. Fredricksen!" Dexter exclaimed as he and Boomer waved goodbye to the old man who made this expedition to Atlantoonis real.

"Make us proud boys!" Carl exclaimed as he waved goodbye to Dexter's group as well. The old man hoped that they and the crew would find what they are looking for, as well as small proof of Atlantoonis' existence.

Once everyone is inside, the crew closed the lid and locked the whole submarine up tight to prepare for departure. Shanker nodded as he turned to Lena as he ordered, "Take her down, Lena."

"Diving officers, submerge the ship." Lena ordered the sailors sternly.

The crew set switches, pulled down levers and turned wheels to get the submarine ready. Soon the chained hooks that kept the submarine in place gave released it before said sub began diving into the ocean. Carl gave everyone on the submarine thumbs up while keeping his fingers crossed from behind his back.

The submarine dove deeper and deeper as it descended from the ship and the surface. Dexter's group looked through the front window, amazed that they were beneath the ocean on their way to finding Atlantoonis.

The journey itself had truly begun.


End file.
